The Extinction Switch: Book three of the Kato's War series (6 page)

“I’ll record a video.”

“Good enough.” The General paused for a second. “I’m guessing they’ll lift the quarantine on Earth soon if they’re going to evacuate Mars. They’ll have to. Haven’t heard anything about it yet, though.”

“It’s going to be broken as soon as our Earth-to-orbit shuttles take off anyway. Not sure where we’ll park them yet, nor where to put the warp ships. The FSE can take somebody else’s fleet, though. They’re not getting mine.”

Korolev entered the bridge and strode purposefully up to Kato. “I’ve got it!”

Kato looked nonplussed. “Got what?”

“How Seung Yi and his cohorts survived all this time, inside a space rock with no known contact with the outside world!”

“I’d been wondering that myself,” Kato said. “They could have been in hibernation. Only problem with that is they had to have been reanimated for at least thirty years to have deployed the Extinction Switch…”

“The Venter Curve, Kato. They got MCTs: Matter Creation Technology.”

“I know what it means!”

“Right. Well, Jessica Venter theorized back in 2230 that if you got enough MCT machines, they can create all the food, water and air needed to sustain a population. They’d have no need of an atmosphere, farming, or trade with other civilizations. Then, add in a few extra machines, and you can create more MCTs. You then have a snowball effect. The population can grow exponentially, without restriction.”

MCT machines were units about the size of a house, containing their own zero-point power source to supply the vast amounts of energy needed to create new matter from scratch. Literally anything could be created, albeit slowly. The matter creation chamber was roughly the size of a refrigerator. One of the most innovative uses was to heal and upgrade the human body with new cells, since material could be created with micrometer-level accuracy.

----

The living room smelled stuffy and sweaty, as Kassandra, Annabelle, Antonio, David and Vivianne packed into it to watch the news. “Two days have now passed since the demands of a despot, thought to be long dead, were made, and backed up with the deaths of an estimated six billion people,” the newscaster said. “Every country on the planet is in chaos, as governments struggle to maintain control of society. In France, the organized crime group known as Block B is very active in theft and extortion. Government officials who have long been suspected of corruption and association with Block B are being rounded up. However, the main breaking news at this point is that Mars' government has announced it is officially cooperating with the evacuation of the planet's thirty-nine million people. Mars’ citizens, however, have said a resounding
no
to this plan. They are forming an army, known as the Martian Defense Force, and vowing to fight their extradition to Earth with force. Their leader, Uzziah Kysley, based in Marineris, gave the following statement: ‘Mars is our home. Most of us have grown up here, and own property on Mars. We will not allow it to be taken from us, by the so-called civilization of Vesta, or anyone else. We are already manufacturing weapons. We will fight to the last man.’

“What the flying f…?” David bellowed. “They'll use the Extinction Switch on everyone on Earth if they can't occupy Mars! The Martians are going to put the rights of forty million ahead of the lives of twenty-one billion!”

The newscaster touched her ear. “We have just received word that President Legrand is about to address the French people. We're switching to Parliament now.”

The gray-haired, weary-looking president leaned forward onto the podium, as if using it for support. The camera flashes were almost continuous. “As you know, this is the most grievous chapter in the history of France, and of all humanity,” he began. “Parliament has met privately around the clock since the crisis began. We have consulted with experts in every field imaginable. We now have a plan to safeguard our citizens.” He drew a deep breath, took a sip from a bottle of water, and continued, “The nanovirus on which the Extinction Switch depends has to be activated by a remote radio signal. This signal probably cannot penetrate rock. Therefore, to be protected from it, we will become an underground society. Construction will begin right away on a new civilization below ground. All vertical farms will be moved below ground, as indeed the ones that serve the existing underground cities already are. Living space will be created for every French man, woman and child. After that, schools, parks, work spaces, and recreation facilities will be created. Eventually, giant caverns will be opened up, with simulated weather. Air will be drawn in from outside. Those wearing lead-lined suits will still be able to roam above ground. However, the fundamental nature of human existence must be altered in response to this threat. Construction and tunneling work will begin immediately, using every robot, tunnel boring machine, and human available. You will be drafted and put to work according to your abilities. Those already living underground will be required to either house more people in their residence or, in some cases, give up their home entirely. We will keep you informed as further developments happen. Thank you, and may God bless and keep us all.”

David and Vivianne looked at each other, speechless, their faces as white as ghosts. Kassandra, Annabelle and Antonio looked at them. David eventually spoke, “A wholly underground society? I bet they’ll try and stuff lots of other people in this apartment too!”

“At least we'll live, though,” Vivianne said. “So will Etienne, and everyone else they can fit down here. Think about that.”

David looked over at Etienne. “She'll never know there was any kind of life other than underground… Crap! Will I ever be able to get back to England? What about Mum? Will the UK do anything like this for its citizens?”

The other three looked at each other, in silence. At last, Kassandra spoke, “I guess we'll have to leave, since we're not French citizens, and they’ll probably only accommodate people who are. Well, she is”—she indicated Annabelle—“but we're not…”

CHAPTER SEVEN

David and Vivianne

Vivianne still managed to look stylish even in the midst of the crisis. She wore a red leather skirt with a short matching jacket, a white blouse, black tights, and pair of black mid-heel shoes. Her hair was pinned up at the back, but some of its reckless curls around her ears and neck broke loose in a bohemian fashion. She walked with Annabelle down Rue Borchal, with Annabelle having just managed to procure some gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt from one of the shops there.

“It’s good to get out, just us girls, huh?” Vivianne said.

“Yes.” The dismal gray road was busier than when they had first arrived.

“I don’t feel like going home yet. It gets oppressive there sometimes,” Vivianne said. “It’s so small, and…”

“Oh, I’m so sorry! We can find somewhere else to stay. We’ve probably overstayed our welcome by three days already…”

Vivianne flipped her right hand playfully at Annabelle. “Tsk! No, it’s not you guys. It’s… well, David and I have problems sometimes…”

“Oh…”

“I won’t bore you with them though.”

“If you need to talk…”

Vivianne half-chuckled. “It’s okay. Old people problems. You shouldn’t have to worry about that stuff yet. If I really need to talk, though, I’ll take you up on it.”

Annabelle smiled. “Old? You’re probably only about twenty-five, I’m guessing. How did you two meet, anyway?”

“We’re both photographers. We met in Normandy, having both gone there to take pictures. We were married six months later, and I had Etienne a year after that.”

“Oh. She’s so cute! She’s so blonde though…”

“And we’re both brown-haired. Yes, I get that a lot. We were both blonde when we were her age, and only went darker as we grew up.” Vivianne stopped dead, and turned towards Annabelle, on her right. Putting both hands on the girl’s shoulders, she pivoted Annabelle to face her. “She’s going to live, Annabelle! She’ll actually have a chance to have brown hair! Life underground will be even less fun than it is now, but she’ll live!”

“Yeah. Yeah, she will.” Annabelle spontaneously hugged Vivianne. “I’m so glad we bumped into you guys on the bus that night, I feel like I’ve known you forever. I’m sorry if Tony’s a bit of a dork sometimes though…”

Vivianne shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. Men! Tsk!” Annabelle smiled, as the two women released their embrace. They resumed walking. “I find Kassandra kind of hard to read, though,” Vivianne continued.

“You really mean she’s stuck up, but you’re too kind to say it?”

“Well, partly, I guess…” Vivianne chuckled.

“It’s okay. You can say it. She’s spoiled. She’s had every privilege in life that money can buy. Never had to worry about a thing. She’s even got her own warp spaceship parked up at the ETI.”

“Wow! But, she’s smart, too, isn’t she?”

“Yes, she sure is. And she’s a deep thinker but she tries to make out that she isn’t. Probably had to do it to fit in with the party crowd growing up. I sometimes see this faraway look in her eyes, like she’s contemplating something. Or maybe hurting and just not saying anything. There are unseen depths in there, kind of like an iceberg.”

Vivianne nodded.

“To change the subject a little, what’s that gray goo you get piped to your house called again?” Annabelle asked.

“NBH?”

“Yes, that’s it. Do you get enough of it to feed extra people? By which, I really mean us?”

“No, we just get two thousand calories a day for each us,” Vivianne said. “However, we have reserves. I’ve been living on nineteen hundred calories a day for a long time, and stockpiling the rest. It doesn’t need refrigeration. I was keeping it for a rainy day but I’ve been using the extra to make food for you guys.”

Annabelle looked shocked. “Oh… well, we should pay our way. I’m going to buy enough for the three of us for a week. How do you get more?”

“You have to order it through the console at home.”

“Then let’s do it when we get back. I’m really hoping not to be a burden on you guys any longer, Vivianne. As soon as a way opens up to get back to Paris…”

“I know, sweetie. The hyperloops, trains and places aren’t going to be reopening anytime soon, though.”

Annabelle sighed. “Maybe we could steal a car! I just want to know my mom and sister are okay. They’re the most important people in the world to me.”

“Yeah. I wish the damn nets would go back online again. You could at least talk to them then. I want to make sure my friends here in the city are okay too. I have a couple of friends who live topside as well. They’ll be getting moved underground like us moles. Maybe I could swing it so they get housed with us. We’d have to have Etienne sleep in our room or something.”

Once back at the apartment, Vivianne waved her hand over the small kitchen counter’s small breakfast bar. A midair screen appeared that interfaced to the city’s systems. It showed the latest municipal alerts and statuses. “Hmm… nets still out, under repair,” Vivianne said, scanning the words. “Public transit still working. Power okay. GDNs working.”

“GDNs?” Annabelle said, peering over Vivianne’s shoulder.

“Goods distribution networks. There are three. They’re like one meter-wide pipes, through which capsules pass, containing everything from the mail to NBH supplies. Those go to local distribution points, where they get sent out to people’s apartments. Oh, look at this: there’s a warning about criminal activity. Seems Block B are trying to hijack supplies coming into the city. Don’t buy stuff on the black market, yada yada…”

“What about getting more NBH?”

Vivianne touched a button in the lower left corner of the display. “Okay, order more, three people, two thousand calories times seven days, forty-two thousand needed, touch your payment ring to the counter. Wait, the price has gone up quite a bit. It’s doubled, actually! That’s pretty worrying…” Vivianne turned to look at Annabelle. “You know, it’s fine having food just appear, like tap water. But it also means we’re completely dependent on it. If the supply stops coming, we’re screwed.”

----

Kato’s living room had been converted into a conference space. The walls, floor, and furniture were completely white. Around the table sat Academician Korolev, to Kato’s left, and General Phillips. “Gentlemen, welcome to the war room,” Kato said. “We’re going to pool all the resources available to us in the fight against Seung Yi. Now, in addition to material resources, we have one other: the extreme intelligence of everybody here.” He paused for effect.

General Phillips interrupted. “The first thing, Kato, is that we’re going to need the biggest warp cargo ship you’ve got. One of the ones you used to haul stuff out to Alpha Centauri.”

“That would be the
Arcadantera
,” Kato said. “With a payload capacity of 1,100 tons. Her zero-point units output enough energy to power half of Earth when she’s underway.”

“Right. Well, she’s going to be moving a
very special payload
,” Phillips said. “Nine hundred and fifty tons. It’s at the highest level of classification.”

“Oh…”

“Same level of secrecy as the Manhattan Project,” Phillips said.

“Scouring my history data banks,” Korolev said. “The Manhattan Project, 1943. The first atomic weapon… Are you dropping us a hint, General?” Korolev said.